Melbourne, Feb 27 (ANI): Australian soldiers are freezing their sperm for wives and girlfriends in case they are killed in Afghanistan, according to a report.

According to the Herald Sun, 39 soldiers have stored their sperm at IVF clinics across Australia in the past year, reports News.com.au.

The fertility industry decided to offer free sperm storage after it was revealed in February that the Department of Defense refused to fund the practice for soldiers who did not have fertility problems.

9 soldiers from NSW, 10 from Queensland, 15 from Darwin and another five from South Australia have stored their sperms.

IVF Australia’s Prof Peter Illingworth, a specialist fertility obstetrician, said it was sensible for soldiers to freeze their sperm before they entered a war zone.

“We have quite a few soldiers who bank sperm for that reason (that they are off to a dangerous place),” Illingworth said.

“I think it is a perfectly sensible thing to do - you know how you and your partner would feel about this in the wake of a tragedy.

“The legalities are very simple; we get the male partner to write a declaration what he wants done with it. Under ethical guidelines and the law, you cannot assume because someone has banked sperm they want it used after they die,” he added. (AN)